Scribd
Upload
22 views

Week007 Module PDF

Uploaded by

Ethan Rosario
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
22 views

Week007 Module PDF

Uploaded by

Ethan Rosario
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 7

Physical Education and Health: Team Sports

1
Exercises to Boost Leg Power

Exercises to Boost Leg Power

At the end of the module, the student is expected to:


1. Determine the importance of leg strength
2. Identify the different exercises done to boost leg power
3. Test endurance and agility of legs

Importance of Leg Strength


All kinds of sports can prove to be beneficial in building up leg power and
strength. Strength training aims to increase the muscle mass, strengthen the
bones and reduce a person’s risk of injury. Strong legs, according to Reichert
(n.d.), “help to stabilize and protect the joints such as the knee and hip
joints.”
Strengthening your legs will not only be good for your muscles in your lower
body, but also help increase your endurance in exercises such as climbing,
cycling and even walking.
According to physiologist, Michael Joyner, MD, cited in an article by Valeo,
“Muscles can really burn a lot of calories. When you have more muscle mass,
your resting muscles burn more calories.”
Furthermore, the National Academy of Sports Medicine said that in order to
develop leg power, you must have a “combination of good lower body
stability and strength.” Stability is characterized as the ability to retain the
proper alignment of the lower body joints such as the ankles, knees and hips.
Strength, on the other hand, is in charge of maintaining this alignment while
moving through ranges of motion.

Leg Power and Strength Exercises


Various websites on fitness, health and exercise have recommended the
following exercises that will help you in building and boosting leg power and
strength.
• Jump Squats – this exercise is of the plyometric kind. According to
the Merriam Webster Dictionary (source: https://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/plyometrics), plyometrics is “exercise
involving repeated rapid stretching and contracting of muscles (as by
jumping and rebounding) to increase muscle power.” Jump squats
exhausts the use of knees and ankles so you are prone to injuries in
these parts of your body. For this, it is recommended to aim for higher

Course Module
jumps. You may also choose to raise your arms over your head while
performing this particular exercise.

Jump Squats. (Image retrieved from: https://media1.popsugar-


assets.com/files/thumbor/_gsXN6w15Fm3hLGdCX-rRUAv5vs/fit-
in/1024x1024/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-
/2014/01/31/901/n/1922729/1545977b1743e558_Jump-Squat.jpg on April 1, 2017)

• Calf Raises – The key to training the calves that mainly generate
power is in the swift motion. This is done by pressing off with the
calves and then holding them above for a moment before lowering
them slowly to the ground. You will repeat the same motion swiftly
after the first round of movements. You can do this while seated or
while standing. You may opt to do a different positioning for your foot
or by doing them one leg at a time.

Calf raises. (Image retrieved from: https://media1.popsugar-


assets.com/files/thumbor/kIhNhZaAH7H0s-4ThQwKKzCMU1c/fit-
in/1024x1024/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-
Physical Education and Health: Team Sports
3
Exercises to Boost Leg Power

/2013/08/02/858/n/1922729/35c88ec584b712f0_external-rotation/i/Calf-Raises-
External-Rotation.jpg on April 2, 2017)

• Interval Sprints – this is considered a tough exercise as you have to


make sure that you have time for rest between exercise and this
training for the day. Although tough, your body will reap healthy
benefits from this training for increasing leg power. To do this, you
have to sprint as fast as you possibly can in a short distance or time, or
within 10 to 15 seconds. After that, there will be a 30-second rest
before launching on to another round of sprint. The key to this
exercise is to focus more on the speed than the time.

Interval sprinting. (Image retrieved from: http://www.trainer.ae/articles/wp-


content/uploads/2016/06/sprinting.jpg on April 2, 2017)

• Lunges – Reichert claims it as the “single best leg exercise to build


muscle and strengthen the whole leg including the hamstrings,
quadriceps, and calf muscles and the buttocks.” To do this exercise, in
a standing position, you must put both hands on your hips for the
purpose of keeping your balance and squeezing the abdominal
muscles. Your feet must be about a hip-width apart. From this
position, you must put your right foot forward and start lowering your
upper body until your other knee almost touches the floor. You must
be careful to keep the leg behind you to be aligned under your hip.
From there, you must raise your body back to the standing position.
Repeat the same exercise for at least 10 times on the right leg before
doing the same thing with your left leg in front.

Course Module
Lunges. (Image retrieved from:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/sites/womenshealthmag.com/files/styles/slidesh
ow-desktop/public/images/new-lunges-02.jpg?itok=EHBlajl1 on April 3, 2017)

• Hamstring Strengthening – Our hamstring muscles are found behind


our thighs, as illustrated in the image below. According to Reichert,
you can strengthen these muscles through static contractions and
pelvic lifts. To do this, you must find a chair or bench to sit on. Once
seated, you must extend a leg forward until it is bent at a 45-degree
angle before pressing your heel to the floor. This will result to a
feeling of tightening in the back of your thigh. This contraction must
be held for at least five seconds before loosening it to relax. It is
suggested for this exercise to be repeated for at least 10 times on each
leg. You may slowly increase the number in constant progression or
increase the resistance to add the intensity of contraction.

Hamstring muscles. (Image retrieved from: http://www.runnersblueprint.com/wp-


content/uploads/2015/10/Hamstring_medium-1.jpg on April 3, 2017)
Physical Education and Health: Team Sports
5
Exercises to Boost Leg Power

• Calf Muscles – The calf muscles are located behind the lower part of
the leg, between the ankle and the knee. The following exercise will
strengthen the two calf muscles: the gastrocnemius and soleus. To do
this exercise, you must stand up straight with your feet/legs a hip-
width apart. To retain balance, you must put both of your hands on
your hips, like the previous exercise. From there, you must raise both
of your heels off the floor that your weight is supported by the balls of
your feet and your toes. You must maintain this position for about five
seconds before slowly putting your heels down. Remember that you
must keep your body upright and avoid locking your knees. This
exercise is recommended to be repeated for at least 20 to 30 times.

Calf muscles. (Image retrieved from:


http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/articles/i
mage_article_collections/anatomy_pages/493x335_calf_muscle.jpg?resize=646px:*&o
utput-quality=100 on April 4, 2017)

• Quadriceps – If calf muscles are the lower part of your leg, the
quadriceps are the muscles found on your upper leg. To train this part
of your body, bodyweight squats are ideal. Doing this exercise
requires you to stand straight with your feet a considerable distance
apart. Your toes must be turned out slightly. After that, you must
squeeze your abdominal muscles to stabilize your spine and then let
your heels support your weight. From this position, bend by the hip
joint and bring your upper body down, as if in a sitting position. You
must bend until your upper thighs are aligned to the floor or however
low your body can endure. Maintain this position for a few seconds
before pushing your body back up using your legs.

Course Module
The quadriceps. (Image retrieved from: http://bodybuilding-wizard.com/wp-
content/uploads/2014/12/quadriceps-anatomy.jpg on April 4, 2017)

References
Exercises to Improve Leg Power and Speed (n.d.). Retrieved from:
https://new.fitness.com/articles/1000/exercises_to_improve_leg_po
wer_and_speed.php#sthash.cw5mq7EI.dpuf on March 30, 2017.
Reichert, R., (2013), At Home Leg Strengthening Exercises. Retrieved from:
http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/home-leg-strengthening-
exercises-6286.html on March 30, 2017.
Valeo, T., (n.d.), Strength Training: Building Leg Muscles. Retrieved from:
http://www.webmd.com/men/features/strength-training-building-
leg-muscles#1 on March 30, 2017.
5 Exercises to Boost Your Leg Power and Quickness. Retrieved from:
https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/5-leg-power-exercises.htm on
April 21, 2017
Exercises to Improve Leg Power and Speed. Retrieved from:
https://www.fitness.com/articles/1000/exercises_to_improve_leg_po
wer_and_speed.php on April 21, 2017
Strengthen your Legs. Retrieved from:
https://hr.duke.edu/wellness/runwalk-club/training-
education/strengthen-your-legs on April 21, 2018
Physical Education and Health: Team Sports
7
Exercises to Boost Leg Power

3 Ways to Boost Leg Power. Retrieved from:


https://www.bicycling.co.za/training-1/3-ways-boost-cycling-power-
squats/ on April 22, 2018
Videos
How to Develop Leg Power for Soccer Players. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t0bWY_OFGI on April 22, 2018
Stair Speed Workouts and Leg Exercises. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B1sZiaziek on April 22, 2018
5 Leg Strengthening Workouts. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqwHUuskPoY on April 22,
2018

Course Module

You might also like